 No British climber has yet reached the summit via the West Ridge |
Three soldiers from Yorkshire are among a team planning to become the first Britons to scale Mount Everest's notorious West Ridge, the Army says. Warrant Officer Jude Humphries, from Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, is the 21-strong team's only female member.
She is joined by Captain Alistair Morton of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and Warrant Officer Dick Gale from Otley, West Yorkshire.
The ascent will begin in May 2006 and progress in stages over several weeks.
The Army's Everest West Ridge expedition is being supported by sports scientists at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Rigorous testing
They have devised a programme of rigorous physiological fitness testing using the latest equipment and expertise to prepare the team for the challenge.
The training will also become the focus of a research project by the university's Carnegie Research Institute, which is exploring the manner in which elite mountain climbers develop resilience and coping methods in the face of such a challenge.
John O'Hara, senior lecturer in sports and exercise science at the university, said: "For this team to be successful in their bid to conquer the West Ridge of Everest they need to have extremely good fitness to combat the stress of altitude.
"We will ensure they are as well prepared as they can be before they embark on this huge challenge."
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